How much water do you use in a day? Would you believe more than 1,200 gallons?

The typical household only uses 50 to 85 gallons a day, but it takes nearly 1,200 gallons per person per day to meet the needs of farmers, factories, electrical utilities, and the many other entities that make it possible for us to have food on our table, a computer on our desk and power for our house.

Careful management of the nation's water supply is critical to limiting water shortages and lessening the impact of droughts. As one of the nation’s largest water supply agencies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plays a major role in ensuring that Americans have enough water to meet their needs.

The Corps has 136 multiple purpose projects that contain storage for water supply in 25 states and Puerto Rico. These projects are capable of providing almost 5 billion gallons of water per day for use by local communities and businesses. That is enough water to supply the average household needs of about 55 million Americans for a year. The Corps numerous water supply projectsbenefit the environment and have a significant economic impact.